The Tracy Area Chamber of Commerce last Friday honored a number of residents and groups for all they do
By Per Peterson
The theme for last Friday’s Tracy Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet and meeting was “Looking to the Future,” and a big part of the shaping of that future included a large and proud group that earned the Chamber’s 2021 “Diamond Award.”
Last week’s banquet was once again a time to honor Tracy’s finest — from business owners and bosses, to volunteers and citizens.
Chamber Director Jen Krostue kicked off last week’s event by introducing herself, as she is in her first year as director.
“This is a great position to be in, and I’m really, really excited about it,” she said. “Everyone has been so wonderful. In the four months that I’ve been here, I just can’t get over what a nice community this really is. The Chamber board has been phenomenal in helping me get going and learn the ropes.”
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Those recognized for their work in the community are as follows:
Diamond Award
The “Diamond Award,” which is given annually to groups who go above and beyond to give back to people of the community and surrounding area, went to teachers and staff at all of Tracy’s schools. The award was accepted by St. Mary’s School Principal Lisa Dieter and Tracy Area High School teacher and coach Alex Greenway.
“The Tracy Area Public Schools’ teachers and paraprofessionals did an outstanding job handling all of the challenges during the spring of 2020 and the 2021 school year, and continue to go above and beyond each and every day,” said Casey Schmidt, who served as Chamber president in 2021.
Some of the changes incurred at the public schools because of the pandemic included transitioning to a block schedule, recreating class lessons and schedules to accommodate distance learning, moving classrooms to the Veterans Memorial Center, the wrestling room, The Caboose and local churches, washing desks between each class period, being the “mask police,” rearranging desks to accommodate social distancing, and delivering book bags and computers by bus around the school district. Paras also took on the added responsibility of doing day care for young children and taking temperatures of students entering the grade school building, Schmidt said. They also helped with making, packing and delivering meals to students on quarantine.
Schmidt also gave a nod to the small St. Mary’s staff, which she said also went above and beyond what is expected of them — “not only during the pandemic, but every day,” she said. “These ladies are always present. They not only work diligently during the pandemic to create meaningful academic lessons, they were available to the students to work through small groups through Zoom in every academic subject at any time of the day.”
See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.